Dame told detectives his adult sons were building the cabin, and he had no idea it was made of stolen campaign signs. Dame declined to be interviewed by reporters, and his sons were not available. No one was arrested.

''This is just the kind of garbage I've had to put up with this whole campaign,'' Beary said.

Gallagher, who opposes Beary in Thursday's Republican runoff election, condemned the theft. He noted that hundreds of his campaign signs have been stolen too.

Deputies tore down the cabin Tuesday and planned to return any signs they salvaged to Beary. At least 22 of the plywood signs were at the site, most nailed to studs to form cabin walls.

Beary and half a dozen of his supporters went to the site Tuesday to meet a deputy and file a theft report. Beary wants to prosecute whoever took the signs on a charge of grand theft, a felony.

He estimated that a quarter of his 1,100 campaign signs have disappeared since spring. He said 30 deputy sheriffs have worked off duty to make and post the signs.

Supporter Bryan Margeson said he was upset that the signs were found at a sergeant's home.

Dame, a sergeant in court services, supervises a squad of bailiffs. He has been with the department for 18 years and was promoted to sergeant by Gallagher in 1990. His performance reviews generally have been positive, but he has been criticized for being overweight and having worn-out uniforms.

He told detectives that his sons, 19 and 20, recently asked him if they could build a bunkhouse. Dame said he was tired of the two tracking mud into his house and gave them the go-ahead.

The cabin was half-finished when Beary supporters discovered it.

The Sheriff's Office asked the Florida Department of Law Enforcement to investigate the theft to avoid any appearance of favoritism, but FDLE declined because of personnel shortages.

Gallagher said his property crime detectives will investigate.

Officials said Dame has told colleagues he does not support either candidate in the runoff. The winner will face Democrat Wayne Bird in the November general election.